Populism Notes

Do Now: Define Populism to the best of your knowledge......

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“People” against the “elites”

1890’s political movement: Populism: hoping to increase the political power of farmer

Worked for legislation for the farmer

1880’s Farmers fell on hard times.

People deserting their farms to head back East.

Problem: Money Supply: Greenbacks (paper money) caused inflation

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Inflation: decline in the value of money

Government response: stop printing greenbacks, pay back bonds

Stopped making coins from silver

Money supply did not meet needs of growing economy

Leads to “deflation” (increase in value of money)

Result of Deflation: farmers borrowed $ to plant crops

Now farmers wanted more greenbacks printed to increase money supply....some wanted government to mint silver into coins

Grange: national farm organization founded for social and educational purposes

Changed their focus to help farmers in need

Grangers put $ together and created cooperatives: pooled member’s crops and held them off market to force prices to rise.

They would negotiate better shipping rates from railroads

Grange not successful by 1870’s many farmers left in search of something better

Farmers’ Alliance 1877

Many joined in South and Great Plains

Also created large cooperatives called “exchanges” not successful

Too small to affect world prices, many discriminated against them....

Members of the Kansas Alliance formed the People’s Party or “Populists” to push for political reforms that would help farmers solve their problems

Most Southern leaders of the Alliance opposed the People’s Party; they wanted Democrats to retain control of the South